1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology to certify the time period to respond to information which is especially provided on-line.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, various kinds of information are provided through the Internet with the spread of computers. Generally, those kinds of information provided through the Internet used to be provided from a server device to a client device one-directionally. However, there appears such information as to be joined by users through bi-directional communication. With the use of such a bi-directional communication system, a server device can provide information which requires a response of each user such as a quiz.
Here, for example, a hayaoshi-quiz (a game show in which a person who pushes a button first answers first) can be realized by counting the time period it takes for users of client devices to respond to information provided by a server device. Conventionally, such a way has been considered as to obtain the time period between a transmission of information to a client device done by a sever device through the Internet and a reception by the server device of a response input in the client device, i.e., it is only the server device that obtains the time period for response.
However, there may be some differences in the length of the time period between the transmission of information by a server device and the reception of information by a client device depending on the condition of the communication channel, the faculty of the client device or the like. Further, there may be some differences also in the length of the time period between the input of a response in the client device and the reception of the response by the server device depending on the same problem.
It is difficult for a server device to separate the time needed for the process in a client device from the time needed for the communication process on the Internet. Accordingly, it is not appropriate to say that the time period for response measured by a server device equals to the time period needed for a user to respond and there has been unfairness in the measured result.
Further, in the case where the time period for response is measured in the way described above, a response from client devices reaches a server device intensively in a short time. Because of this, there have been such problems as congestion of communication and the system breakdown in the server device owing to the excessively loaded communication channel and the server device in the above-described way.
As discussed above, there has been no system for accurately measuring the time period needed for users to input a response to information sent by a server device from client devices and for the obtained time period being collected by the server device. Due to this, for example, an on-line test with a time limit or a network business transaction that is tight on the certification of time have not been realized.
It is an object of this invention to fairly and accurately certify the time period necessary for inputting a response to information sent through a network.
It is another object of this invention to collect the response to information sent through a network without excessively loading resources such as a network.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the obtained time period certifying system according to the first aspect of this invention comprises a server device for sending information which requires a response and a client device for inputting a response to sent information which is connected to the server device through a network wherein:
the client device comprises:
an information receiving means for receiving information which is sent from the server device through the network;
an outputting means for outputting information which the information receiving means receives;
a response inputting means for inputting a response to information output from the outputting means;
a time period obtaining means for obtaining a time period between the output of information from the outputting means and the input of the response to the response inputting means; and
a time data sending means for sending time data including the time period obtained by the time period obtaining means to the server device through the network,
the server device comprises:
an information sending means for sending information which requires a response and is to be received by the information receiving means of the client device through the network;
a time data receiving means for receiving the time data sent by the time data sending means through the network; and
an obtained time period certifying means for certifying the time period between the output of information and the input of the response based on the time data which the time data receiving means receives.
In the above-described obtained time period certifying system, the time period between the output of information and the input of the response is obtained not in the server device but in the client device. The server device certifies the obtained time period based on the time data which it receives from the client device. Because of this, since the server device can receive the accurate time period between the output of information and the input of the response in the client device, the server device can fairly certify the time period even if there are some differences in the length of the time period for outputting information sent from the server device in the client device or in the length of the time period for sending the data to the server device from the client device depending on the condition of the network or the difference in the faculty of the client device.
In the above-described obtained time period certifying system, the client device may further comprise an encoding means for encoding the time data including the time period obtained by the time period obtaining means and giving the data to the time data sending means. And the server device may further comprise a decoding means for decoding the encoded time data which the time data receiving means receives.
As described above, by encoding the time data to send them to the server device, the time data can be prevented from being improperly altered on the network or the like. Because of this, the server device can further accurately and fairly certify the time period between the output of information and the input of the response in the client device.
In the above-described obtained time period certifying system, the client device may further comprise a scheduling means for adjusting the timing at which the time data sending means sends the time data to the server device.
The above-described obtained time period certifying system may further comprise an intermediate device which is on the network between the server device and the client device and intermediates the sending of the time data from the client device to the server device. In this case, the intermediate device may comprise a means for receiving the time data launched to the network by the time data sending means, a means for sending the time data which the means receives to the server device through the network and a scheduling means for adjusting the timing at which the means sends the time data to the server device.
As described above, due to the client device or the intermediate device comprising a scheduling means, the timings at which the time data receiving means of the server device receives the time data are dispersed if the time data are sent from more than one client devices. Because of this, situations such as congestion on the network and the system breakdown in the server device owing to the excessively loaded network or server device can be prevented.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the obtained time period certifying system according to the second aspect of this invention comprises a server device for sending information which requires a response and a client device for inputting a response to sent information which is connected to the server device through a network wherein:
the client device
comprises a memory for storing programs, a processor for executing the programs, a timer for keeping time, an inputting device for inputting information, an outputting device for outputting information and a first communication device for sending information to and receiving information from the server device;
outputs information which requires a response from the outputting device;
inputs a response to output information which requires a response from the inputting device;
obtains a time period between the output of predetermined information and the input of the response by using the timer; and
sends the obtained time data from the first communication device to the server device through the network and
the server device
comprises a memory for storing programs, a processor for executing the programs and a second communication device for sending information to and receiving information from the terminal device;
receives the time data sent from the client device by operating the second communication device; and
certifies the time period between the output of information which requires a response and the input of the response in the client device based on the time data which the second communication device receives.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the obtained time period certifying method according to the third aspect of this invention is a method for certifying a time period between a provision of information and an input of a response in a system which comprises a server device for sending information which requires a response and a client device for inputting a response to sent information which is connected to the server device through a network, the method comprising steps of:
sending information from the server device to the client device through the network;
outputting sent information from the client device;
inputting the response to output information from the client device;
obtaining the time period between the output of information and the input of the response in the client device;
sending time data including the obtained time period from the client device to the server device through the network; and
certifying the time period between the output of information and the input of the response in the server device based on the sent time data.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the obtained time period certifying method according to the fourth aspect of this invention is a method for certifying a time period necessary for responding to information sent to a terminal device through a network, wherein the time period between an output of sent information and an input of a response is obtained in the terminal device, and the method collects and certifies the obtained time period.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the server device according to the fifth aspect of this invention is connected to a client device through a network, comprising:
a time data receiving means for receiving time data including a time period between an output of information which requires a response and an input of a response in the client device, from the client device through the network; and
an obtained time period certifying means for certifying the time period between the output of information which requires a response and the input of the response in the client device based on the time data which the time data receiving means receives.
The above server device may further comprise an information sending means for sending information which requires a response to the client device through the network.
In this case, the above server device may further comprise a first program sending means for sending a time period obtaining program for obtaining the time period between the output of sent information and the input of the response in the client device, to the client device.
Here, it is preferable that the time period obtaining program sent by the first program sending means is not reusable.
In the above server device, the time data sent from the client device through the network may be encoded. In this case, the above server device may further comprise a decoding means for decoding the encoded time data which the time date receiving means receives.
Here, the above server device may further comprise a second program sending means for sending an encoding program for the client device to encode the time data, to the client device.
Also, the above server device may further comprise a third program sending means for sending a scheduling program for the client device or an intermediate device which is on the network between the server device and the client device to adjust the timing to send the time data through the network to the client device or the intermediate device.
The above server device may further comprise a program checking means for checking if the time data which the time data receiving means receives are created by a proper program. In this case,
the obtained time period certifying means can further certify the time period between the output of information which requires a response and the input of the response in the client device based on the check result of the program checking means.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the server device according to the sixth aspect of this invention is connected to a client device through a network and comprises a memory for storing programs, a processor for executing the programs and a communication device for sending information to and receiving information from the client device wherein:
the communication device receives time data about a time period between an output of information which requires a response and a predetermined input in the client device which is obtained in the client device, from the client device through the network; and
the time period between the output of predetermined information and the predetermined input in the client device is certified based on the time data which the second communication device receives.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the client device according to the seventh aspect of this invention is connected to a server device through a network, comprising:
an outputting means for outputting information which requires a response;
a response inputting means for inputting a response to information output from the outputting means;
a time period obtaining means for obtaining a time period between the output of information which requires a response from the outputting means and the input of the response to the response inputting means; and
a time data sending means for sending time data including the time period obtained by the time period obtaining means to the server device through the network.
The above client device may further comprise an information receiving means for receiving information which requires a response from the server device through the network.
In the above client device, the time period obtaining means may comprise, for example:
a means for retrieving a time kept by an inner timer when information sent from the server device is output from the outputting means;
a means for retrieving a time kept by an inner timer when the response is input to the response inputting means; and
a means for calculating the gap between these retrieved times.
It Is preferable that the above client device further comprises an encoding means for encoding the time data including the time period obtained by the time period obtaining means and giving the data to the time data sending means.
Also it is preferable that the above client device further comprises a scheduling means for adjusting the timing at which the time data sending means sends the time data to the server device.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the client device according to the eighth aspect of this invention is connected to a server device through a network and comprises a memory for storing programs, a processor for executing the programs, a timer for keeping time, an inputting device for inputting information, an outputting device for outputting information and a communication device for sending information to and receiving information from the server device;
outputs information which requires a response from the output device;
performs a predetermined input to output information which requires a response to the inputting device;
obtains a time period between the output of information which requires a response and the predetermined input by using the timer; and
sends the obtained time data from the first communication device to the server device through the network.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the computer-readable recording medium which stores a program according to the ninth aspect of this invention is characterized in that the program realizes:
an information sending function for sending information which requires a response to a terminal device which is connected through a network;
a time data receiving function for receiving time data including a time period between an output of information sent by the information sending function and an input of a response in the terminal device, from the terminal device through the network; and
an obtained time period certifying function for certifying the time period between the output of information and the input of the response in the terminal device based on the time data which the time data receiving function receives in a computer device which is connected to the terminal device through the network.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the computer-readable recording medium which stores data and a program according to the tenth aspect of this invention is characterized in that:
the data include information which requires a predetermined response and is to be output from the computer;
the program realizes:
a response inputting function to control a response to output information to be input from outside;
a time period obtaining function to obtain a time period between an output of information which requires a response and an input of a response; and
a time data sending function to send time data including the time period obtained according to the time period obtaining function, through the network in a computer device; and
the data and program are to be sent as one body to a computer device which is connected through a network.
In the above computer-readable recording medium, it is preferable that the program further realizes an encoding function for encoding the time data including the time period obtained according to the time period obtaining function and giving the data to the time data sending function, in the computer device.
In the above computer-readable recording medium, the program further realizes a scheduling function to adjust the timing at which the time data sending function sends the time data, in the computer device.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the program data signal which is superimposed in a carrier wave and sent through a communication channel according to the eleventh aspect of this invention controls a computer device which is connected to a plurality of terminal devices through a network to function as:
an information sending means for sending information which requires a response to terminal devices which are connected through a network;
a time data receiving means for receiving time data including a time period between an output of information sent by the information sending means and an input of a response, from the terminal device through the network; and
an obtained time period certifying means for certifying the time period between the output of information and the input of the response in the terminal devices based on the time data which the time data receiving means receives.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the data signal which is superimposed in a carrier wave and sent through a communication channel according to the twelfth aspect of this invention is a signal for sending data and a program as one body to a computer device which is connected through a network wherein:
the data include information which requires a predetermined response and is to be output from the computer device; and
the program controls the computer to function as:
a response inputting means for controlling a response to output information to be input from outside;
a time period obtaining means for obtaining a time period between an output of information which requires a response and an input of a response to the response inputting means; and
a time data sending means for sending time data including the time period obtained by the time period obtaining means, through the network.